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July 18, 2012

The Best Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

I consider myself somewhat of a cupcake aficionado. I've been on the
cupcake bus since... well, as long as I can remember. In my catering
and wedding planning days, I made (I'm guessing...) thousands of
cupcakes for my clients. I once did a Bridal Fair and was told to be
prepared for 3,000 brides to visit my booth... So, I made 3,000 mini
cupcakes topped with a pale blue buttercream that I dubbed "Bliss
Blue." Obviously the booth was a big hit.

My first
'gourmet' cupcake was at Sprinkles in Beverly Hills 10-12 years ago(?).
Since then I make a point taste cupcakes from any cupcakerie that I
pass. An occupational obligation. Some of my favorites include
Georgetown Cupcakes (tv show, DC Cupcake), Sweet (Back Bay, Boston),
Sprinkles (DC - remember the cherry blossom cupcakes I made?!), Cupcake A
La Mode (Kansas City), Dolce (Kansas City), and most recently Magnolia Bakery.

When
we were in New York for a wedding this Spring, I had my first
experience at Magnolia Bakery. I'm a tough critic- but I thought these
were some of the best cupcakes I've ever tasted. Mostly, I loved the
very vanilla-y, soft and creamy buttercream.

Emma's 7th month
birthday was on the 15th, so yesterday I made a batch of Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupakes
topped with Bliss Blue Vanilla Buttercream. Basically, I just needed
an excuse.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream
the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy,
about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each
addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk
and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are
incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down
the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about
3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted
into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar
and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer,
beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the
remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition
(about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good
spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If
desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and
store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.)
Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

Make sure you beat the icing for 3-5 minutes to get the super creamy consistency.

As I talked about at length in my Heirloom Pumpkin Sugar Cookies post, when I'm mixing icing colors I always add a little touch of the opposite of the color I'm mixing to achieve a muted color that looks more sophisticated. In this instance since I was making blue, I added just a touch of red (far left) and yellow (middle) to the blue (right). By adding the red and yellow (or orange... I didn't have any) the color will appear more muted and not so bright. It sounds strange, but it really works.

I can't wait to try these! Vanilla is my all time favorite...so pure and delicious! I love the tip on the icing coloring. Excited to try different colors. I just started following your blog so I'll be going back to look at sugar cookie post!Thanks for sharing!

i tried these a couple days ago and they are very delicious! since you know how to mix colors well for frosting.. i was wondering if you knew a good way to get a light grey color but still have it look rustic and sophisticated?? any opinions would be great! Thanks Jenny!